Gill box



J. H. SELBY GILL BOX Aug. 19, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 22. 1955 INVENTOR. Jack H. JELB J. H. SELBY Aug. 19, 1958 GILL BOX 4 Sheets-$heet 5 Filed April 22, 1955 Ill l|||||l III ll INVENTOR. Jnc/r H. 551.3 7 m v2, 1'.

I 1 0773mm 15 J. H. SELBY Aug. 19, 1958 GILL BOX Filed April 22, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1\! E.\ 70R Jack H. 551.19 M ,Q Hrroewsys )6! United States Patent GILL BOX Jack H. Selby, Twinsburg, Ohio, assignor to The Warner & Swasey Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio This invention relates to an improvement in gill boxes and will be described herein in connection with gill boxes of the type wherein the faller bars have rectilinear motion imparted thereto by actuating screws, but it will be understood that the invention may be applicable to other types of gill boxes.

The invention more particularly relates to the draft roll section of the gill box.

An object of the invention is to provide in the draft roll section of a gill box improved and novel means for detecting any undesired condition in the web of slivers passing through the draft roll section and upon such detection for automatically stopping the operation of the gill box.

A further object is to provide in the draft roll section of a gill box means to detect any lap around of the slivers with respect to the draft rolls or any unevenness in thickness of the web of slivers passing through the section and upon such detection to automatically stop the operation of the gill box.

Another object is to provide in the draft roll section of a gill box means for controlling the thickness of the slivers constituting the web of slivers passing through the section and which means detects any objectionable increase in the thickness of the slivers and functions to automatically stop the operation of the gill box.

A further object of the invention is to provide in the draft roll section of a gill box improved and novel means for rotatably supporting on a. radially shiftable axis the cot roll and which means includes provision for adjustably clamping the supports for the axis of said cot roll in operative position by means of a single clamp actuating lever and so as to cause said cot roll to exert a predetermined spring pressure engagement on the driven draft roll regardless of cot roll diameter.

Another object of the invention is to provide in the draft roll section of a gill box improved and novel means for supporting the cot roll so as to have under predetermined spring load a floating relationship with respect to the driven draft roll and wherein the cot roll can be readily displaced to an inoperative position relative to the driven draft roll by a single lever actuated clamp mechanism should it be necessary to do so for the purpose of correcting any irregularity in the web of slivers passing through the section or for any other reason.

A further object of the invention is to provide in the draft roll section of a gill box improved and novel means for mounting the cot roll which enables the mounting means to be readily assembled in the draft roll section or removed therefrom.

Further and additional objects and advantages not hereinbefore referred to will become apparent hereinafter during the detailed description of an embodiment of the invention which is to follow and which embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a gill box embodying the invention with the cover for the main drive motor,

ICC

the belt and pulley drive therefrom to a gear train drive unit or gear box shown in section. l

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the gear train drive unit or gear box above referred to and is taken substantially along line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a view showing the draft roll section of the gill box partly in end elevation and partly in section.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the rolls of the draft roll section taken substantially on line 4--4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 5--5 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view through the clamping head taken substantially on line 66 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view through the stop motion lap detecting mechanism taken substantially on line 77 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view taken from line 8--8 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 isa top plan of the clamping head of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 10 is a wiring diagram ofthe main motor power circuit and of the control circuit for the main motor which includes therein the switches or contacts forming part of the stop motion lap detecting mechanism of the draft roll section.

. The gill box as is well understood in the art comprises a table or platen 15 supported by suitable legs and which table or platen supports the faller bar section, the draft roll section and the other parts of the gill box.

Referring to Fig. 1, a gear box 16 is shown in side elevation and is provided with suitable brackets enabling it to be secured to the top and side of the platen or table of the gill box by suitable securing bolts passing through the brackets and into the table or platen. The construction of the gear box and its manner of attachment to the table are more specifically setforth in the copending application of James R. Longstreet, Serial No. 499,403, filed April 5, 1955, now Patent No. 2,807,052, and per se forms no part of the present invention. The gear box 16 rotatably mounts in suitable bearings a drive shaft 17 which extends outwardly of the outer side of the gear box and has fixed to it a mutiple V-belt drive pulley 18 which is driven by V-belts 19 passing around a smaller pulley 20 fixed on the shaft of the main drive motor 21, see Figs. 1 and 2.

The drive motor. 21 is supportedby suitable means secured to the legs of the gill box and located below the platen 15 as will be well understood in the art. The drive shaft 17 has fixed to it within the gear box 16 a gear 22 which constantly meshes with the gears of two divergent gear trains in the gear box. One of these gear trains includes'a'two cluster gear formed of a gear 23 meshing with the gear 22 on the drive shaft 17 and a smaller gear 24. p

The gear cluster formed by the gears 23 and 24 is rotatable on a fixed supporting shaft 25 mounted in the walls of the gear box and provided with collars fixed thereto to hold the gear cluster against axial displacement. The smaller gear 24 of the two gear cluster meshes with a gear 26 fixed to a shaft 27 rotatably supported in suitable bearings in the walls of the gear box with said shaft 27 extending outwardly of the inner side wall of the gear box and having fixed thereto a sprocket 23 forming part of a chain and sprocket drive to the creel which supports and feeds the slivers passing throughthe gill box but which is not shown herein as it forms no part of the present invention.

As fully explained in said copending application Serial .No. 499,403, the large gear 23 of the two gear cluster meshes with a gear fixed to a sleeve rotatably mounted in suitable bearings supported in the walls of the gear box and located in a. horizontal" plane above the horizontal plane of Fig. 2 but which need not be shown herein as it. forms no part of the present invention and itshould sufiice to say that it constitutes part of the drive to the crossshaft of the faller bar section of the gill box.

The other of the two divergent gear trains in the gear box 16 comprises. a two gear cluster rotatable on a fixed shaft 29. mounted in the walls. of the gear box 16 with said two gear cluster being held against axial displacement between collars fixed on said shaft 29. The last mentioned two gear-cluster consists of a large gear meshing with the gear 22 on drive shaft 17 and a smaller gear 31.. The smaller gear 31 constantly meshes with a gear 32 freely rotatable on a shaft 33 fixed in the walls of the: gear box.

Supporting plates 34 are swingably supported on the shaft 33 as an axis on opposite sides of the gear 32 and said plates are arranged in parallelism and have their outer or free ends interconnected by a securing bolt 35 extending through the plates and through a spacer sleeve 36 located intermediate the plates.

The gear 32 constantly meshes with a gear 37 freely rotatable on a shaft 38 fixedly mounted in the supporting plates 34. It will be understood that the supporting plates 3'4 can be swung about the shaft 33 so that the gear 37 can be intermeshed with a gear later to be referred to and which latter gear may vary in size. In order to provide for this adjustment one of the supporting plates 34 is provided" with an arcuate slot 39 concentric to shaft 33 and. through which slot extends a clamping bolt 40 having a clamping head 41 on its inner end which cooperates with the slot 39 and the plate 34'provided therewith while its outer end extends through and beyond a boss on the exterior of the outside wall of the gear box 16 and mounts a clamping nut 42. It will thus be seen that. the supporting plates 34 can be swung to various desired positions and then clamped in such positions so as to intermesh the gear 37 with a gear which may be of different size.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the gear 37 is intermeshed with a gear 43 fixed on a draft roll shaft 44 rotatably supported in the side frames 45 of the drafting roll section of the gillbox and extending transversely of said section.

The driven drafting roll 46 is located intermediate the side frames 45 and may beformed integral with the shaft 44 and said shaft and roll may be suitably assembled in and supported by the side frames 45' for rotation but held against axial displacement as will be well understood in the art.

The shaft 44 adjacent the right hand side frame 45 as viewed in Fig. 3 has fixed thereto a gear 47 which meshes with a gear 48 fixed on a shaft 49 that carries the nip roll' 50, see Figs. 3 and 4 and which shaft 49' and nip roll 50 are rotatably supported by the-side frames 45.

The side frames 45 on their inner sides have integral therewith or secured thereto aligned inwardly extending supporting portions 51 spaced upwardly from the axis of the driven draft roll 46 and extending parallel to said axis. The supporting portions 51 rigidly mount upwardly extending parallel posts 52, the upper ends of which are reduced in diameter and threaded as indicated at 53. The upper threaded ends 53 of the posts 52 have adjustably screwed thereon double flanged sleevenuts 54.

The. stationary part. of a clamping head is indicated generally at 55 and said stationary part is provided at its opposite. ends with ears 56 (Figs. 3 and 9). The cars 56 from their rear side edges as viewed in Fig. 3 have inwardly extending parallel slots 57 the width of which issuch. that the cars can be passed over the. sleeve nuts 54 intermediate the flanges thereof and with the central portion of the nuts located in the slots 57 and the flanges 4 of the nuts engaging the upper and lower surfaces of the ears as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 9.

It will be noted that the stationary part 55 of the clamping head can be positioned on the sleeve nuts 54 by slipping the slots 57 over the nuts from one end of the draft roll section of the gill box, namely, from the end shown in Fig. 3.

It will be understood thatrotation of the double flanged sleeve nuts 54 adjustably raises or lowers the cars 56 and the stationary part 55 of the clamping head to various predetermined adjusted positions. Each car 56 mounts a lock screw 58- extending transversely of the slot 57, the cone-shaped pointed inner end 58a of which screw can be positioned in engagement with the intermediate portion of the flanged sleeve nut 54 to hold the latter from rotating after it has been adjusted and for locking the sleeve in position at the inner end of the slot 57 of the car 56.

The stationary part 55 of the clamping head intermediate the ears 56 is provided with an opening of' generally elongated oval configuration, but with said opening having machined planular parallel bossed slide bearing surface portions 59' located inwardly from but adjacent to the opposite ends of the opening, with two of said surface portions-59 located on one side of the opening and the other two of said portions located cooperatively therewith on the opposite side of the opening.

The stationary part 55 of the clamping head intermediate the surface portions 59 has its opposite side walls widened to provide upwardly extending supporting wall portions 60 which rockably support a shaft 61 that has fixed thereon intermediate the Wall portions 60 an cecentric cam 62, the purpose of which will later be explained.

The shaft 61 is held against axial displacement by suitable means and outwardly of the front wall portion 60 as viewed in Fig; 3 is provided with an enlarged hub 61a contacting a raised boss on the outer side of said wall portion 60. The'hub 61a mounts an operating handle 63 and immediately behind the operating handle a radially projecting stop pin 64. The raised boss on the wall 60 mounts a pair of outwardly extending stop pins 65 located in the same horizontal plane and in position to be engaged alternately by the stop pin 64 of the hub 61a when the latter is rocked to its opposite limits of movement, wherefore the shaft 61 and eccentric cam 62 can be rocked by the clamp operating handle 63 substantially for a purpose later to be pointed out.

The movable part of the clamping head is indicated generally at 66. The movable part 66 of the clamping head is of a configuration such that it can be assembled in the opening in the stationary part 55 and will have vertical movement in said opening and'will be slidably guided in such movement by the surface portions 59 of the stationary part'55 as clearly indicated in Fig. 9.

The movable part 66. adjacent its opposite ends is provided on. its underside with spaced parallel bores 67 through which slidably extend rods carried by equalizer trunnion slide blocks later to be referred to. The bores 67 communicate with upwardly extending counterbores 68, the upper ends of which are threaded to have screwed therein adjusting sleeve nuts 69, the outer ends of which nuts extend above the movable part 66 and are provided with suitable operating polygonal flanges 69a. The central portion of'the movable part 66 on. the upper side of said part is provided with a cavity recess which may be closed by a closure plate 70 secured to the movable part 66. by suitable securing, bolts after said movable part has been assembled in thestationary part and the shaft 61 and eccentric cam 62 assembled in. said stationary part.

The movable part 66 below the cavity recess referred to is provided with. a rnilled'sl'ot 71 extending from the lower side of the movable part 66 upwardly and communicating at its deepest portion with said cavity recess previously referred to. The slot 71 provides spaced wall portions in the movable part 66 (see Fig.6) in which is fixedly mounted a shaft 72 which rotatably supports intermediate the spaced wall portions a roller 73 that is adapted to cooperate with the eccentric cam 62 previously referred to. The shaft 72 projects beyond one of the spaced wall portions of the movable part 66 and extends into a vertically elongated slot 74 formed in the adjacent supporting wall portion 60 of the stationary part 55, see Fig. 6. The slot 74 limits the amplitude of the relative vertical movement between the movable part 66 and the stationary part 55 of the clamping head and also limits the side movement of the movable part 66, either due to the cooperation of the eccentric cam 62 with the roller 73 or to the action of other parts later to be described or to the combined action of both.

The inner ends of the supporting portions 51 of the side frames 45 are provided with guideways for vertically movable equalizer trunnion slide blocks 75 and which guideways are so shaped that the blocks can be positioned in said guideways from the front of the draft roll section as viewed in Fig. 3. The blocks 75 have resting on their upper ends rods 76 which pass through the bores 67 and the counterbores 68 in the movable part 66 of the clamping head. The rods 76 Within the counterbores 68 and adjacent the lower ends thereof are provided' with flanges or collars 76a forming abutments for one end of coil springs 77 which surround the rods within the counterbores 68 and have their opposite ends abutting the inner ends of the adjustable sleeve nuts 69.

The rods 76 at their upper ends have reduced portions 76b extending outwardly beyond the operating flanges 69a of the sleeve nuts 69 and such reduced end portions 765 may be provided with graduation marks cooperating with suitable marks on the operating flanges 69a to indicate the adjusted pressures of the springs 77. The blocks '75 are provided with hearing recesses or openings in which are rotatably mounted the trunnions 78 of the cot draft roll.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the cot draft roll comprises an inner roll 79 which is provided at its opposite ends with the trunnions 78 and the outer cylindrical covering or cot 80 formed of suitable material as is well understood in the art.

From the description thus far set forth it will be seen that the clamping head including both the stationary part 55 and the movable part 66, together with the equalizer blocks 75 and the rods 76 assembled in the movable part 66 and the cot roll supported by the blocks, can be assembled as a unit by loosening the lock screws 58 and passing the slots 57 of the ears 56 over the sleeve nuts 54, while at the same time the slide blocks 75 can be positioned in the guideways in the inner ends of the portions 51. This assembly can be made from the front of the draft roll section as viewed in Fig. 3. It will be understood that in disassembling the parts referred to the same may be moved as a unit toward the front to disengage the ears from the sleeve nuts 54 and the blocks 75 from the guideways in the portions 51. The blocks 75 and cot roll can be taken out or inserted independently of the clamping head since the rods 76 simply rest on the blocks.

The supporting portions 51 are provided with rotatable lock disks 81 which are cut away chordally and can be rotated to the position shown in Pig. 3 wherein they overlie the blocks '75 and retain the same in the guideways of the portions 51. The lock disks 81 can be rotated to a position wherein they do not overlie the blocks 75 so said blocks can bemoved into or out of the guideways from one side thereof as above explained and to facilitate such movement the blocks are provided with pull knobs 82.

The trunnion and equalizer blocks 75 on their inner or adjacent sides and near their upper ends may have secured thereto inclined supporting bars 83 (see Fig. 5).

gen-yrs The supporting bars 83 are free to pivot and have on their upper sides springs 84 secured thereto and which springs have U-shaped free ends, one of the arms of which extends in substantial parallelism with the outer ends of the bars 83 and mounts a pressure block 85. The pressure blocks 85 cooperate with the outer ends of the supporting bars 83 to provide bearings for the trunnions of a cleaner brush 86 which contacts the circumference of the cot 80.

The trunnion and equalizer blocks 75 may alternately mount between their adjacent sides a wiper sub-assembly consisting of a felt wiper 87 to the opposite sides of which are secured wiper strips 88 formed of felt or other suitable material and contacting the circumference of the cot 80, see Fig. 4. The wiper strips 88 are secured to the wiper 87 by clamping strips 89 and suitable bolts or clamping screws passing through the clamping strips 89,

the wiper strips 88 and the wiper 87. Clock springs 90 secured to the equalizer blocks 75 act on the opposite ends of the clamping strips 89 to hold the wiper strips in spring pressed contact with the cot 80. The side frames 45 for the'drafting roll section support a spring pressed cleaner and guard assembly for the draft roll 46 and the nip roll 50 and which assembly is indicated generally at 91 in Fig. 4. r

The lap detecting mechanism and the manner in which it cooperates with the clamping head and the equalizer blocks 75 carried thereby will now be explained. The supporting portions 51 have secured thereto depending brackets 92, the lower ends of which have hubs that rockably mount shafts 93. The shafts 93 on one end of the hubs of the supporting brackets 92 have fixed thereto follower arms 94 projecting under the lower ends of the blocks 75 and engaged by the latter. The shafts 93 on the other end of the hubs of the supporting brackets 92 have fixed thereto the hubs 95a of levers 95.

Torsional springs 96 surround the shafts 93 within the hubs 95a and have one end abutting the supporting brackets 92 and the other end the levers 95 and act normally to rock the shafts 93, levers 95 and follower arms 94 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3 to maintain the free end of the follower arms 94 in contact with the lower ends of the blocks 75.

It will be understood that when the blocks 75 are in their proper predetermined position the follower arms 94 will be depressed thereby so as to rock the shafts 93 and levers 95 in a clockwise direction for a purpose later to be pointed out.

The levers 95 adjacent their free ends mount adjustably threaded contact posts 97, the lower or contact ends of which cooperate with contacts 98 carried by contact brackets 99 secured to the supporting portions 51, see Figs. 3 and 7. The contact brackets 99 are secured to the portions 51 in a manner so as to be electrically insulated therefrom and said brackets are electrically con nected to electrical conduits indicated at 1.00. The electrical conduits 100 are connected to one side of a circuit forming part of the control circuit for the main motor 21, while the contact posts 97 are electrically connected to the other side of said circuit, wherefore it will be seen that when the contact posts 97 engage the contacts 98 the said circuit forming part of the control circuit for the main motor will be closed.

Referring to Fig. 10, the energizing circuit to the main motor 21 and the control circuit therefor will now be described. The main motor 21 is connected to an electrical supply source by means of three wires 101, 102 and 103 constituting the energizing circuit and in each of which are located the normally open contacts of the main motor control contactor 104 which is in the control circuit as will later be explained. The wires 101 and 103 in advance of the normally open contacts of the main motor control contactor are connected, respectively, by wires 105 and 106 to the primary winding of a transformer 107. The secondary winding of the transformer 107 is connected to wires 108 and" 109 in the control circuit. The wire 108 is electrically connected in parallel to the contact posts 97 while the contacts 98 are connectedin parallel to the conduit or wire 100 previously referred to and which extends to the relay CR2 and which latter relay is also connected to the wire 109. A wire 110 is connected to the wire 103 and contains the normally open start switch 111 and the normally closed stop switch 112. The wire 110 contains the normally closed contacts of the relay CR2 and extends to a relay CR1 which is also connected by wires 11? to the wire 109. A wire 114 is connected to the wire 110 in advance of the start switch 111 and is again connected to the wire 110 intermediate the start switch 111 and the stopswitch 112. The wire 114 contains normally open contacts of the relay CR1. The wire is connected by a wire 115 to the main motor control contactor 104 and which contactor is connected by wire 116 to wire 109. The wire 115 also contains normally open contacts of the relay CR1.

Assuming that neither of the contact posts 97 is in engagement with its cooperating contact 98 then when the operator momentarily closes start switch 111 the circuit to relay CR1 is completed through wires 110, 113 and 109 to energize said relay and close the normally open con tacts thereof in wire 114 to establish a holding circuit around the start switch and also to close the normally open contacts thereof in wire 115 to energize contactor 104 and close the normally open contacts of said contactor 104 in wires 101, 102 and 103 to energize the main motor 21 and start the operation of the gill box. Of course the operation of the gill box can be stopped by the operator momentarily opening stop switch 112 to interrupt the holding circuit in wire 114 so that relay CR1 will be deenergized, whereupon the normally open contacts of said relay in wires 114 and 115 open and the motor control contactor 104- is deenergized so the contacts thereof in wires 101, 102 and 103 also open. In addition, should either contact post 97 engage its related contact 98 when the motor 21 is operating the circuit to said motor would be interrupted and the operation of the gill box stopped. This would result from the fact that such engagement between either contact box 97 and its related contact 98 would effect energizetion of relay CR2 through wires 101i and 109 and thus cause the normally closed contacts of said relay CR2 in Wire 110 to open interrupting the circuit to relay CR1 so that its normally open contacts in wires 114 and 115 would open to break the holding circuit and to deenergize the motor control contactor 104 to efiect opening of its normally open contacts in wires 101 and 103.

The right hand side frame 45 of Fig. 3 is adjustable lengthwise of the table by the provision of elongated slots 117 in the table and through which the anchoring bolts 118 pass, see Fig. 8.

The operation of the mechanism hereinbefore described will now be set forth to bring out the coordination between the parts thereof and to indicate the advantages inherent in the mechanism and the accomplishment of the objects hereinbefore specified.

It may be assumed that the clamping head consisting of the stationary part 55 with the movable part 66 mounted therein has been assembled in the drafting roll section of the gill box and that the equalizer blocks 75 are located in the guideways on the ends of the supporting portions 51 and are locked therein by the lock disks 81 against outward movement although being free for vertical movement. The blocks 75 will of course have the trunnions 78 of the cot roll supported therein. it may also be assumed that the sleeve nuts 54 have been adjusted to the desired predetermined position on the upper threaded ends of the posts 52 and locked in such position by the lock screws 58. It may further be assumed that the clamp operating handle 63 has been swung to rock the eccentric cam 62 to its unclamping position.

The operator adjusts the sleeve nuts 69 to effect a predetermined spring load by the springs 77 on the sleeve nuts 69 and on the flanges 76a of the rods 76. It will be understood that the adjustment of the sleeve nuts 54 and 69 will be in accordance with the desired pressure on the slivers constituting'the web of slivers passing between the nip roll 50 and the cot @0 and between the cot S0 and the roll 46 and will cause the cot 3b to engage the rolls 46 and 50 with a predetermined pressure.

The clamp operating handle as is rocked to its other extreme position to cause the eccentric cam 62 to exert a clamping pressure on the roller 73 carried by the movable member 66 of the clamping head so as to move the blocks 75 downwardly in their guideways in the portions 51 to effect a predetermined pressure between the cot $0 and the rolls 46 and it). It will be understood that this positioning of the blocks 75 under the clamping action rocks the follower arms 94 and levers 93 against the action of the springs 96 suficiently in a clockwise direction to separate the contact posts 97 from the contacts 93.

Now assuming that the above stated conditions exist and the gill box is ready to be placed in operation, the operator momentarily closes the start switch 111 and this effects energization of the main motor 21 as has already been explained it being recalled that the contacts of relay CR2 in wire are normally closed and since the contact posts 97 are not in contact with the contacts 93 the relay CR2 remains deenergizcd.

The gill box is now in operation and the web of slivers of the desired thickness is passing between the nip roll 50 and the cot and between the cot 311 and the driven draft roll 46, with said cot 8t exerting predetermined pressure on the web of slivers in accordance with the prior adjustments. Now assuming that certain of the slivers or the fibers thereof start to wrap around the draft rolls and form a lap, it will be seen that the increased thickness of the slivers between the cot $0 and the driven roll 46 will cause the cot 811 and the slide blocks 75 to move upwardly against the load of the springs 77, either at both ends of the cot roll or at one or the other end thereof. The instant either or both of the slide blocks 75 moves upwardly either or both of the follower arms 94 will follow the blocks under action of the springs 96 and either or both of the levers 95 will rock in a counterclockwise direction to engage one or the other or both of the contact posts 97 with the contacts 98 to complete the circuit to relay CR2 and open its normally closed contacts in Wire 1110 and thus efiect deenergization of the main motor 21 as already explained with a resultant instant stopping of the operation of the gill box. When this occurs the operator can throw the clamp operating handle over to unclamping position so that the movable part as of the clamping head will be relieved and the cot 30 can be separated from the nip roll 51} and from the driven roll 46 to enable the lap to be cleared away. Also should certain of the slivers of the web of slivers passing between the drafting rolls become bunched or be of increased and undesired thickness the cot 80 will be raised or tilted to effect raising of both or one of the equalizer blocks 75 to elfect in the same way immediate deenergization of the main motor 21 and stoppage of the gill box operation to enable the operator to correct the error in the slivers.

Although several embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described it will be understood that the invention is susceptible of various modifications and adaptations within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A gill box having a draft roll section comprising side frames, a driven draft roll ro-tata'bly supported by said frames, said frames above the axis of said driven roll having inwardly extending supporting portions, said supporting portions being provided with upwardly extending parallel posts, a clamping head having a stationthe ary part secured to said posts and a movable part mounted in said stationary part, said supporting portions mounting for vertical sliding movement equalizer blocks, rods contacting said blocks and extending into the movable part of said clamping head, said equalizing blocks rotatably supporting the opposite ends of a cot roll mounted therebetween and cooperating with said driven roll, said movable part of said clamping head being provided with means for imparting a predetermined downward spring load on said rods, and cooperating clamping means carried by said stationary part and by said movable part of said clamping head and acting when in clamping relationship to move said movable part downwardly relative to said stationary part.

2. A gill box as defined in claim 1 and wherein the upper ends of said upwardly extending parallel posts are threaded and have adjustably mounted thereon double flanged sleeve nuts, while said stationary part of said clamping head is provided with slotted ears interfitting said sleeve nuts intermediate the flanges thereof.

3. A gill box as defined in claim 1 and wherein said movable part of said clamping head is provided with counterbores into which extend said rods, while springs are positioned in said counterbores and act on said rods to urge the same and said blocks in a downward direction with a predetermined spring load.

4. A gill box as defined in claim 3 and wherein said rods are provided within said counterbores in the movable part of the clamping head with flanges, while said counterbores have their outer ends threaded and adjusting sleeve nuts are screwed therein and through which said rods extend, said springs surrounding said rods intermediate said flanges and the inner ends of said adjusting sleeve nuts.

5. A gill box as defined in claim 1 and wherein said clamping means includes a rockable eccentric carried by said stationary part of the clamping head and actuated by a single lever and a roller carried by said movable part of said clamping head and cooperating with said eccentric.

6. A gill box as defined in claim 5 and wherein said stationary part of said clamping head is provided intermediate its ends with upwardly widened wall portions which support said eccentric, while said movable part of said clamping head is provided with a cavity in which said eccentric is located and below said cavity with a slot communicating therewith and in which said roller is located on a shaft mounted in the spaced wall portions formed by said slot, one of the side walls of said stationary part being provided with a vertically elongated opening into which said shaft extends.

7. A gill box as defined in claim 1 and wherein said inwardly extending supporting portions at their inner ends are provided with vertical guideways for said 'blocks such that said blocks can be removed from said guideways or mounted therein by movement laterally of the longitudinal direction in which said supporting portions extend, and locking disks carried by said supporting portions and in one position overlying said blocks and retaining the same in said guideways and in another position being free of said blocks and permitting the latter to be removed from or positioned in said guideways.

8. A gill box as defined in claim 1 and wherein means is provided which cooperate with the lower ends of said equalizer blocks for automatically stopping the opera tion of said gill box when one or the other or both of said equalizer blocks moves upwardly against the predetermined downward spring load thereon during the operation of the gill box.

9. A gill box as defined in claim 8 and wherein said means includes brackets carried by said supporting portions and mounting rockable shafts, follower arms fixed to said shafts and engaging the ends of said equalizer blocks, levers fixed to said shafts, spring means acting on said shafts and levers to rock the same normally in a downward direction and said follower arms in an upward direction, said levers being provided with contact posts and said supporting portions mounting contacts adapted to be engaged by said posts when said equalizer blocks move upwardly against the predetermined downward spring load thereon.

10. In a gill box, a draft roll section comprising side frames, a driven draft roll rotatably supported by said frames, said frames having inwardly extending supporting portions located above the axis of said driven draft roll, equalizer blocks supported and guided by said supporting portions and vertically slidable relative thereto, a cot roll having its opposite ends rotatable in said equalizer blocks and movable vertically with said blocks in opposite directions and cooperating with said driven draft roll, means carried by said supporting portions and located entirely above said equalizer bloclcs for imparting a predetermined downward spring load on said blocks, and means controlled by the position of said equalizer blocks for automatically stopping the operation of the gill box when either or both of said equalizer blocks moves or move upwardly against the said predetermined downward spring load.

11. A gill box as defined in claim 10 and wherein there is provided a main driving electric motor for the gill box, an electrical control circuit for effecting energization and de-energization of said motor, while said means for automatically stopping the operation of the gill box includes cooperating separable contact means in said control circuit and mechanism for actuating said contact means and including movable spring pressed elements urged against the lower end of said equalizer blocks whereby when said equalizer blocks are in normal operative position under said downward predetermined spring load said contacts are closed but when upward movement is imparted to either or both of said equalizer blocks against said predetermined spring load said contacts are opened.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 818,707 Ormondroyd et al Apr. 24, 1906 1,791,290 Scott Feb. 3, 1931 2,458,852 Helland Jan. 11, 1949 2,618,022 Berker Nov. 18, 1952 2,621,371 Berker Dec. 16, 1952 2,621,372 Wilkie Dec. 16, 1952 2,683,291 Harmon July 13, 1954 

